Chaeto Fuge Advice

[matthewscars]

Ive been having a tough fight with Algae. My tank is 2.5 months old, but im trying to do all I can now.

My nitrates and Phos are zero (lolalgae). I just did 3 days with no lights and the algae came back literally the next day.

Last night I got a basketball sized clump of chaeto to put in my 12g fuge section. This is a 55g with a Aquaclear 70 return. The flow in the fuge isnt enough from the tank so i hooked up a Maxijet600 and put it in the return section with the hose in the fuge pointing at the chaeto.

1) Is this enough flow? I cant get it to tumble with my current plumbing.

2) I have 1" of sand in the fuge, should I kill the flow and vacuum it out? I can replace all the water in the fuge so it doesnt release anything when i remove the sand. Good/Bad?

 

[qfrisco]

I think your chaeto should be fine even if it doesn't tumble. Mine doesn't and it does a good job of keeping my nitrates at zero. You also shouldn't need very much flow going through your fuge. I don't know what my gph is, but I just have it trickling into a corner of my fuge, and it works fine.

I, too, struggled with algae during the first couple months of my tank, but I now barely have any (bubble algae is my main problem right now). You might have to manually remove some as well.

I don't think the 1" of sand is deep enough to help with nutrient export, but if your nutrients are zero as you mentioned, I'd just leave it be.

Just be patient and try not to let it bother you (tough, I know). If your chaeto starts growing like crazy, it will start competing against the algae for nutrients, and before you know it, the algae will be gone.

 

[Aquarist007]

you'll find alot of good information on this thread

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1349443

 

[Aquarist007]

Re: Chaeto Fuge Advice

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13052669#post13052669 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by matthewscars
Ive been having a tough fight with Algae. My tank is 2.5 months old, but im trying to do all I can now.

My nitrates and Phos are zero (lolalgae). I just did 3 days with no lights and the algae came back literally the next day.

Last night I got a basketball sized clump of chaeto to put in my 12g fuge section. This is a 55g with a Aquaclear 70 return. The flow in the fuge isnt enough from the tank so i hooked up a Maxijet600 and put it in the return section with the hose in the fuge pointing at the chaeto.

1) Is this enough flow? I cant get it to tumble with my current plumbing.

2) I have 1" of sand in the fuge, should I kill the flow and vacuum it out? I can replace all the water in the fuge so it doesnt release anything when i remove the sand. Good/Bad?

you have enought flow and your chaeto does not have to rotate however you should turn it once a week by hand esp as the ball gets denser and doesn't let as much light through

There are a number of thoughts on substrate in the fuges---the one I lean towards is to only run the chaeto in the fuge--its easier to collect the detrius that the chaeto collects.

You are better to start a second refugium or another spot in the sump for a sand bed--and run it has a deep sand bed--5-7 inches
this is really a remote deep sand bed and alot of reefers are opting to do that, keeping the sandbed in the display tank minimal and none in the fuge dedicated to chaeto

 

[che25]

I had to do the black out method twice before I started seeing progress against the algae. From what I've been reading here, it could take multiple runs of the black-out before you see progress. I just finished my second round last week and my cyano dropped 100%.

Small amounts are starting to creep back, however, I'm confident that I now have a tool to combat it. The only solution here is: time and persistence.

Good luck and keep us posted on how you do.

fare-thee-well.

 

[stingythingy45]

Re: Chaeto Fuge Advice

1) Is this enough flow? I cant get it to tumble with my current plumbing.


You don't need it to tumble.
100-120 GPH should be fine for that size fug with chaetomorphea.
Just make sure you have at least 65 watts of light over it.

2) I have 1" of sand in the fuge, should I kill the flow and vacuum it out? I can replace all the water in the fuge so it doesnt release anything when i remove the sand. Good/Bad? [/B][/QUOTE]

I have abour 4 inches of sand in my Fug.
Just remember that refugium means a place refuge also(no preditors).Not just a place to grow chaeto.I have mini brittle stars and tons of pods in there as well.IME....it never hurts to have more sand to act as a RDSB.

Just noticed this:

"you have enought flow and your chaeto does not have to rotate however you should turn it once a week by hand esp as the ball gets denser and doesn't let as much light through."

I do this just like the capn does.

 

[matthewscars]

Re: Re: Chaeto Fuge Advice

Re: Re: Chaeto Fuge Advice

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13052880#post13052880 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
you should turn it once a week by hand

I do the same for my 12" tang every week!

Thanks Captn!

 

[Aquarist007]

Re: Re: Re: Chaeto Fuge Advice

Re: Re: Re: Chaeto Fuge Advice

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13054593#post13054593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by matthewscars
I do the same for my 12" tang every week!

Thanks Captn!

if you can catch a tang to turn it over --then come on over an catch a damsel--and be my guest to use a choke hold:lol: